Wednesday, July 05, 2006

What a Swell Palyaa

To celebrate the national holidays of the US (July 4), Canada (July 1), and Belarus (July 3), I prepared some recipes from India.This beet dish was new to me.I came across this intriguing recipe for beet palyaa at Sugar and Spice.

I followed the recipe except that I used dried red chiles instead of fresh green ones, and I did not add any curry leaves (kadipatta), because it seemed that on Independence Day one can be exempt from extra shopping trips. You know already that I am a fierce patriot of beta vulgaris in all its forms, but I had never made anything quite like this.

I heated the oil and sizzled spices and a few tablespoons of urad dal.For this dish the lentils function as a seasoning rather than a staple ingredient. Then I added the thinly sliced onions and finally the sliced beets.Cooking time is brief, especially for a beet recipe, and the sweet spicy palyaa is delicious hot off the stove or at room temperature.

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About Me

In Mol Araan: A blog about food and words in Yiddish and English including but not limited to cooking, recipes, culinary lexicography, delights and curiosities of the plant world, and cookbooks [Scroll down for English content] email: inmolaraan at gmail dot com